Durham University Business School has been awarded a five-year extension to its accreditation from EQUIS – the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.
The re-accreditation places Durham University Business School on a high-calibre shortlist of UK institutions to secure such recognition. There are fewer than 21 UK schools which have received EQUIS’ “Gold Standard” of five years’ accreditation status, and less than 55 institutions in the rest of Europe.
Professor Kieran Fernandes, Interim Executive Dean of Durham University Business School, said;
“The re-accreditation is testimony to our position as a leading international business school, with excellence across our key strategic areas of research, education and student experience.”
The extension of the Business School’s accreditation, which was last awarded in 2017, was confirmed following a comprehensive assessment by EQUIS, which took place in March 2022. The accreditation focuses on evaluating the balance between academic quality and professional relevance, with particular importance placed on the development of students’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills, and the School’s ability to provide opportunities and connections to the business world.
The Peer Review Team recognised that Durham University Business School has upheld the high standards that were acknowledged by EQUIS in 2017, and identified a number of areas where the School’s performance has exceeded the required standards. These include:
– The embedding of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability across its programme portfolio – an objective which sits close to the heart of the School’s ethos,
– The provision of student support and counselling services,
– The quality and internationalisation of faculty members,
– The impact of research, with international research leadership also clearly evident
The Peer Review Team also commended the School’s staff and students for their engagement with the wider community through a wide variety of outreach activities and public service initiatives.
Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden at Durham University, said;
“This is a wonderful achievement and a credit to all our colleagues in the Business School. The re-accreditation from EQUIS comes at an exciting time for Durham, where we are looking to enhance our strengths as a leading University renowned for the excellence and impact of its research, the quality of its education and student support, and the richness of its student experience.”
Durham University Business School has a substantial track record in providing internationally recognised degree programmes and MBAs. It has been ranked within the European Top 50 Schools by the Financial Times in 2021, as well as its Online MBA programme being placed 7th in the world by the Financial Times earlier this year. In addition, the School is also ranked 2nd in the UK and 37th in the world in The Economist Which MBA Ranking 2022.
Within the three departments of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Management and Marketing, the School’s research spans a broad range of timely and important topics, such as accountability, economic and sustainable development, cyber security, energy and environmental economics, international business, entrepreneurship, consumer research and supply chains, among others.
It’s commitment to supporting outstanding research was most recently demonstrated in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), a UK-wide assessment of university research.
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